New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-14
SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF MISS HECK.
WILL THAT LOOKS LIKE A FORGERY.

EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS GIVEN BY 1T TO THE
WOMAN WHO FOUND THE BODY.
Lugate Heck was found lying on the floor OF her
room dead last evening She lived in q tenement
house, No. 443 East Eeventhst., with the family Ct
Jacob Schaefer Miss Heck was forty years old and
sSs Of NOT feeling we'll yesterday and did
not leave her room. few minutes aftef D mrs:
Schsefer went to Miss Hecks room TO see II she would
not have something 70 eat Upon opening the door %
floor. Being spoken to shs did not answer Mrs.
Scbaefer to another part OF the house and came
back with Ernest Gade who tried 70 arouse The PROS
trate woman and found that she WAS dead DIR. Rich
ard Muller called In and he sal that she had been
dead tor several hours.
Miss Heck took her own life, it Ia thought There
was largo silk handkerchief formed into slip knot
around her neck. It was tightly drawn around and
imbedded in the flesh. Two other handkerchiefs
were tied to the silk. end to end. Is supposed
from the position In which she was found that after
putting the around her neck abe tied one
end OF the improvised rope around piece OF wood
that was fastened between the janb OF door and Q
shelf Then she threw her weight on the handker-
chief and slowly choked TO death After she had
been hanging for some time long enough tor death to
ensue. tho knot around the wood became united ana
allowed the bony to fall to the floor.
Coroner Eidman went to the house late last evening
to investigate the case. He found Mrs. Schaefer and
her husband In retlcent mood and unwilling to give
any information He finally g,t a statement from Mrs
scRaefer who told OF the finding OF the body She said
that Miss Heck had lived with her tor two years ana
had always said that she going to die suddenly
Mrs. Schaefer told OF how the woman hanged herself,
an II she knew all about it, when In fact she did not
know. Mas Heck dead when che found her on
the foor This what she said to Mr.. Gadc when
she asked him tc 20 down to the room Coroner Ed
man examined Miss Heck's personal effects In an old
pocket-book he found the following:
NEw-YORK, February 7, 1897,
$4,000.
Received from Miss Lugate Heck tho sum Of eight
thousand hundred dollars for her account for safe
keeping The German Society OF the City OF Newf YORK
AUGUST MERKEL, Cashier.
What supposed to be the last will Of Miss Heck was
also found. II read:
transfer the sum OF ss, 300 to Mrs. schaefer.
LUGATE HECK
transfer all the contents Of my trunk to Mrs schaefer
LrGATE HECK
The will OF Miss Heck In German. written In lead
pencil After Mrs schaefer had signed her testimony,
the Coroner became suspicious that there was something
wrong in the case The will that had been found had
been tampered with. The figures $500 were written
over some other figures, and there were some other
marks that indicated alterations. What was specially
noticeable about the will was that bore close rese
blance Mrs schaefers handwriting The SIGNATURE 10
the statement O the Coroner and the name schaefer
In the will are identical In form. Coroner Eidman TOOK
all the papers and will turn them over TO the Public
Administrator today
He is satisfied there IL something peculiar In It, He said
last evening IL there any chance or the scnaeies
getting this money without going TO law ne would put
them In custody at once. As the money Is saie,
he deemed II best to await further developments. .
Mr.. Schaefer. when TRIBUNE reporter called on MIN
about the His surroundings Indicated great